Be The Icy Beauty! A Xianxia/Cultivation Tale

[ninjastar]

So, when I was starting one of my quests, someone put forward the idea of being the 'Icy Beauty' trope character that exists in basically every Xianxia ever. That got me thinking and I realized it was a pretty cool idea, so I decided to do it, although it won't be the exact same as the idea put forth.

This story will (hopefully) update every day on Saturday.

Transmigrated back into the body of her child self, can the mighty Celestial, Bing Meilu survive in a Xianxia world all the while staving off the advances of arrogant young masters and wannabe protagonists alike?

Why is life so hard for the Icy Beauty?

Any corrections or criticisms are welcome, I hope you enjoy Chapter 1: A New Beginning

---

At the edge of the Abyss, the primeval gap that averted all endeavours of man to discern its depths, fractals of infinity effloresced in those gaps between tangibility and reverie. An unending humdrum came from within its depths, the resounding of a great drum, or perhaps an ancient gong. Bing Meilu could not tell as she fell.

And she was falling.

For all the arguments one could make, that in an ethereal gap where distance and direction did not endure, the very meaning of falling was reduced to but a word and nothing more. Yet it helped Bing Meilu center herself, to imagine it as a great fall, rather than the strange plunge into incoherence and cabalistic madness it truly was.

'What had she been thinking?' the woman question herself.

As a Celestial of the Birthing Dao realm, Bing Meilu really, truly, absolutely should have known better than to ever trust the words of a Devil from the depths of the underworld.

Yet the promise of a breakthrough to the Paragon Realm, where her own cultivation had stayed stagnant for uncountable eons, was too sweet a prospect to deny, and in her impatience, Bing Meilu had failed to truly comprehend the ramifications of her accord.

For the Devil had not lied to her, and the truth was oft more insidious than any falsehood. Indeed, Bing Meilu could already feel the power within her, that been stifled for so long, erupting into new heights, beyond anything that Bing Meilu could have ever achieved on her own.

This was the Paragon Realm.

'The Highest Order.'

For those few, lucky or talented enough to reach the realm of Paragons, they would stand unchallenged, as the zenith of beings below the mighty gods. When the prestige of a Paragon was unleashed, even the endless river of time would tremble before their might and power, and even the stars above would bow in obeisance. Bing Meilu could finally proudly declare herself as a paragon, something she had dreamed of for so, so long.

Yet, it was only after the bargain had been struck that Bing Meilu had discovered the cost. Bing Meilu's Celestialhood, the heaven and earth within her own body that had been borne from her cultivation, had been sacrificed as the spark to catapult her power to untold heights, but the sacrifice had also served another purpose.

It had provoked the descent of a great Devil-God from the Pit, whose might and will had sundered the skies, scraped away the fabric of existence and pierced open the wall that held back the Abyss.

Yet, the clawing void could only uselessly gnaw at her body, unable to destroy one who had reached such heights.

So she was left adrift, falling in an unending gap where reality itself had begun to fray at the edges, where logic failed and truth was no longer immutable fact.

Bing Meilu looked across the eroding world, as the unquenchable void began to infringe upon the very baseline of existence, a tear falling from her eyes.

'How long had it been since she had cried?'

As a Paragon, Bing Meilu could survive in the Abyss, that nether place that was neither dream nor existence. She could drift here for millions and billions and trillions of years without a single hair moving out of place...

'No. No more,' Bing Meilu thought angrily.

She hadn't cultivated for so long, given up so much for- for this! To watch as the Sect she and her junior sisters built up from nothing was consumed by the all-devouring void, to watch as the destruction spread across the Ether, spilling down from higher realms to annihilate the hapless mortals below.

Bing Meilu raised her palm, unleashing the might of a Paragon, the power of someone deserving of the title 'unchallenged below the gods'.

"Appear!" Bing Meilu ordered crisply, and her voice rang out across the Ether like natural law itself, an unquestionable order.

Before her eyes, a mighty river erupted, a mighty, surging river that knew no equal. It was not a river in any normal sense of the word, it was not a channel that carried water to the sea, nor any other such fluids.

This was the River of Time itself, the manifestation of the Heavenly Laws of Time.

'Am I really going to do this?' Bing Meilu questioned. 'Sacrifice it all for a long shot?'

'Yes, yes of course I am.'

Her convictions, her own 'Dao' would not allow her to simply give up and admit defeat, not when there was even one option, one other path.

So she would shatter her own cultivation, the unbounded might of a paragon that would allow her to roam across the sea of stars unchallenged, to go back to the beginning.

It was a secret art, the fifth technique recorded in the 'Crystal Providence Absolute Tome' that Bing Meilu had received so long ago.

"Freeze time, freeze fate, freeze this accursed reality!" Bing Meilu spoke, her voice resounding across the many plains of reality with unchallenged might. "Frozen Godly Renewal!"


Frost began to spread across Bing Meilu's body, as her body seemed to cover with ice.

'This is it,' the woman thought sadly as her vision faded to black.

----

When Bing Meilu awakened, it was like she was wrapped in thick cotton. She felt weak, weaker than she had ever felt before. The woman tried to stand up, forcing herself up onto soft, trembling limbs.

'Was this what it's like to be a mortal?' Bing Meilu questioned. She hadn't remembered ever feeling so weak and small.

Bing Meilu shook her head, slowly, moving forward, barely keeping her frail body from falling. She looked down examining herself. Tiny, childlike hands poked out of her wrists, her pale jade-like skin glistening slightly from her sweat.

"...I think I may have gone back a little too far," Bing Meilu winced.

She had planned to return to the day before she had begun her journey of cultivation, at the age of fourteen. Instead, it seemed she had awoken in the body of her child self, somewhere around the age of eight or nine.

Suddenly Bing Meilu felt a hand grab her shoulder.

"Who dares touch this Lord? You lowly gnat! Do you not believe this Lord will shatter your nine generations and flay the skin off your body?" Bing Meilu said, turning to glare coldly at whatever filth had dared to-

Bing Meilu caught sight terrified face of her little brother, whom she hadn't seen since she had been a mortal all those years ago.

The small child, no older than six began to tremble, tears welling up in his eyes.

 

[ninjastar]

Transmigrated back into the body of her child self, can the mighty Celestial, Bing Meilu survive in a Xianxia world all the while staving off the advances of arrogant young masters and wannabe protagonists alike?

Why is life so hard for the Icy Beauty?

Any corrections or criticisms are welcome, I hope you enjoy Chapter 2: A Nostalgic Embrace

---

The small child, no older than six began to tremble, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Waaaah!" Being Meilu's brother cried, his shoulders shaking and snot dripping from his nose.

Bing Meilu, faced with a sobbing child for the first time in what could very well be eons, stood stock still, unable to decipher the proper approach to console the crying adolescent.

"What's going on in there?" came an irritated voice, a voice that could only be Bing Meilu's mother.

The older woman entered into the room Bing Meilu and her brother occupied, staring at the little girl sternly.

"Meilu! Don't tell me you made your brother cry again?" the woman asked.

Bing Meilu looked up at her mother, staring nostalgically. Soft wrinkles adorned Bing Wuying's face, her skin tanned dark from her life labouring in the boiling sun of the Bird Talon Continent. In her hands lay a large wicker basket, formed of some strange, coiling green.

Bing Meilu's shoulders began to tremble slightly, as she looked around.

Logically, she knew she had gone back to the beginning, but it had not yet registered with her emotionally. Bing Meilu looked around at the small bedroom she shared with her only sibling. Her small, dirt brown bed greeted her, atop which lay a small handwoven dove-doll that had accompanied Bing Meilu for much of her childhood.

Harsh sunlight streamed into the room through many cracks and breaches in the construction of her home, the shoddy and subpar quality all too common amongst the mortal masses that lived and died in the outback of the continent.

It was home, her old home. A place she had not seen since her own youth, a place she never imagined she would see again. A deep feeling of nostalgia filled Bing Meilu.

"Sorry, mother," Bing Meilu apologized, voice blank, forcing herself to bow her head respectfully. "I spoke in haste and was insensitive. I accept responsibility for my actions."

It had been so long since she had been forced to bow her head to a living being that she had almost forgotten how to do it. It was not an enjoyable feeling, bowing one's head, and Bing Meilu resolved to recover her cultivation as quickly as possible in order to avert having to bear it once more.

How embarrassing would it be for her to be forced to kowtow in obeisance to people who had once been so below her that she could eradicate them with but a half muttered word?

"Oh, my little Meilu," Bing Wuying sighed. "Only nine and already speaking like a frozen tuna fish. How will I get you married at this point?"

Bing Meilu's eyebrow began to twitch uncontrollably as her mother began to lament her efforts in marrying off Bing Meilu.

'So I'm nine,' the cultivator thought to herself, resolving to ignore her mother's rant as best she could.

As Bing Wuying began to calm down the crying boy, Bing Meilu began to leaf through the few things she could remember from her time in the Bird Talon Continent.

For the first ten years of her life, Bing Meilu had lived on a farm with her mother and maternal grandparents, her father's line having died off from plague. Bing Meilu had never been forced to do hard labour or work on the farm instead, being sheltered and kept from the sun. It was a bid to preserve her good looks and pale skin to attract a nice husband, perhaps a wealthy merchant or local official.

In the end, Bing Meilu's rapidly growing beauty had been noticed by a local lord and she was hired as a servant in the Jiang Manor. For the next four years, she had lived as a maid, until a fateful night right before her fourteenth birthday.

A passing cultivator from the Moon Crying Swan Palace, a branch of the Twelve Headed Bird Sect had noticed that Bing Meilu's body possessed an unusually large amount of Yin energy, making her perfectly suited to cultivate the secret arts of their sect. Thus had begun Bing Meilu's journey of cultivation, and the last time she had ever seen her mortal family.

"I can't wait that long," Bing Meilu muttered, remembering the four long years she had spent in service of the Jiang Family.

Indeed, she was sure her sanity would not last four years of work, serving mortals as if they were somehow her betters, nor did she wish to start her cultivation so late.

Normally, the earliest a Mortal could begin to cultivate was the age of twelve, but with the proper expertise, expertise that Bing Meilu had more than enough of, one could commence far earlier.

Only one obstacle stopped the woman from awakening her cultivation immediately.

'Resources.'

To being the process of cultivation, of elevating one's being and divesting the self from the restriction of the world, would require the help of a senior, or in lieu of that, resources. Rare herbs and ores, the blood of Demon-Beasts and other such elixirs. With her near-infinite knowledge, she could easily substitute such rare substances with normal, mortal materials, at the cost of weakening their effectiveness, but the same problem still faced her.

As a nine-year-old from a peasant family, Bing Meilu could not gather even the most mundane artifacts, her wealth non-existent. For a moment, Bing Meilu considered attempting to gather money, perhaps sing her musical talents or her knowledge of the other fine arts.

"It is better to wait," Bing Meilu decided, discounting the idea.

It was not worth weakening her future cultivation by being overzealous in her haste. Bing Meilu could endure until she reached a suitable age of twelve, and she could seek out her old Sect by her own accord, without having to subject herself to the indignity of lowering her head to mortals.

To show recognition to one's own mother was not unusual, but Bing Meilu's pride would not allow her to bow her head to any petty nobles simply because they believed that land or wealth placed them above her in status.

"And I will train," Bing Meilu pronounced.

While she could not yet begin the process of cultivation nothing stood in the way of her training her body and mind. Even to a cultivator, prowess in the martial way was still imperative to one's success.

Bing Meilu's small, underdeveloped body was too juvenile to pursue any strenuous programmes, but there was still much she could do to develop her flexibility, agility and dexterity.

-----

Months later, Bing Meilu was seated under the shade of a tree in meditation. Even under the cover of the plant, the ever-present heat that defined the Bird Talon Continent still irked her, casing beads of perspiration to blossom on her skin.

Even in a place as far to the north as Jiang City, the heat was still far beyond what was comfortable to Bing Meilu. However, this did not impede her meditation, rather it enhanced it. The harder it was to reach that state of pure emptiness, where one's soul began to faintly touch upon the attainment of nirvana, and the world ceased in one's perception, the more beneficial it was to attain.

So entranced in her meditation was she, that Bing Meilu failed to hear the sound of fighting approach her, nor see the group of boys roughhousing in her vicinity. Bing Meilu was still habitually adapted to a state where her very soul could see all that was, and she had failed to consider how undergoing such deep meditation might cripple her senses.

So Bing Meilu did not awaken, even as the tumbling, brawling boys neared her tree.

It was only when a drop of blood flew onto her skin that the girl's eyes snapped open and she stood up, gazing cooly at the group of boys, who had too failed to sight her.

Bing Meilu looked down, at the drop of blood that had landed on her, staining her skin, then at the group of mortals, still roughhousing before her with impunity.

She hadn't been disrespected like this in epochs…

Bing Meilu wiped the droplet of blood from her skin, sneering in disgust as she saw the trail of stained crimson that ran across her fingertip. The old, and yet so very young girl stood up, clearing her throat loudly.

The group of boys, five to be exact, still fought in front of her. Had Bing Meilu been more cognizant, less blinded by anger, she might have realized this was not in fact a free-for-all tumble between boys, but a fight where several had grouped up on one.

Several of the boys stopped fighting, turning around to see, unexpectedly that behind them stood a little girl, clothed in a tawdry brown dress. The girl gazed upon them coldly, her eyes looking at them with faint disdain and ambivalence.

"And what exactly?" Bing Meilu drawled, her tone emotionless. "Do you think you're doing here?"

One of the boys, a brunette dressed in sandy shorts stepped forwards, unconsciously assuming the role of speaker for the group.

"Nothing. We were just playing around-"

"Shut up, wretch," Bing Meilu interrupted. "I could not be less interested in your petty excuses. Immediately remove yourself from my presence or-"

"Or what?" sneered the boy, anger filling his gaze.

"Or you will Die," Bing Meilu responded coolly, narrowing her eyes.

The boy froze in place, not from ice nor temperature but with fear, a paralyzing primal fear that lay within the depths of all men when faced with a great predator. The boy's legs trembled as if he were standing before the maw of a great lion, with razor teeth and crimson eyes, and not a pale-skinned little girl who looked like she had never worked a day in her life.

For Bing Meilu, was old, so very ancient. She had killed so much that oceans was not enough to describe the amount of blood on her hands, she had witnessed the births of stars and watched as galaxies were rendered into ash and ground into dust, and with that age came prestige, an unconscious aura that surrounded her.

Perhaps it was in the way she carried herself, or the sheer confidence in her tone, but to any who watched, what stood in her pace was indeed not a little girl but an apex predator.

Bing Meilu closed her eyes, and within moments, of the boys, four of them began to run away, too scared to even bother screaming. Only one remained, a thin, almost sickly looking boy who lay on the ground, bruises and lacerations covering his face and arms.

"T-Thank you," the boy said. "You saved me."

Truth be told, Bing Meliu had not even noticed the stick-thin boy, too concerned with the fact that a group of mortals had stained her august self with dirt, but if her actions had aided someone, Bing Meilu did not mind.

Bing Meilu turned away from the boy, sitting back down in meditation, completely disregarding him.

"My name is Zhang Yi," the boy introduced. "What's yours?"

Bing Meilu attempted to ignore the mortal, but from the sound of his breathing, she could tell he was not leaving. Eventually, an irritated Bing Meilu stared back at Zhang Yi

"I am called Bing Meilu," she responded. "Now, I am attempting to meditate, so please leave."

For some strange reason, the mortal did not obey her order, instead electing to gaze at her strangely, with an almost infatuated look.

"... Why did you save me?" Zhang Yi eventually asked, staring at her intensely.

"I didn't," Bing Meilu said. "I was merely attempting to send them away so I could resume meditation."

"...Oh," the boy eventually said, looking down at his feet.

Bing Meilu closed her eyes, attempting to once more mediate. Yet, the boy still remained. Eventually, Bing Meilu opened one eye to see the boy still gazing at her.

"... Why are you still here?" she asked.

"If I stay near you, they'll leave me alone," Zhang Yi reasoned. "Since you scared them off."

"Do they give you trouble often?" Bing Meilu asked, watching the boy nod. "Then, how does a bargain sound? I will teach you how to deal with them, and in return, you leave and let me meditate."

After a moment of silence, Zhang Yi agreed.

Had Bing Meilu retained her cultivation, she might have noticed the dusky copper coin hanging from a necklace on Zhang Yi's throat.

She would have perhaps realized that the seemingly unimportant mortal boy before her was enshrouded in a great destiny, a destiny that she had just been entangled in, the threads of karma wrapping around her even as she spoke to him.
---

And so Bing Meilu has become the 'childhood friend' trope character to her first protagonist! What will happen next? Find out next time!

 

[ninjastar]

Transmigrated back into the body of her child self, can the mighty Celestial Bing Meilu survive in a Xianxia world all the while staving off the advances of arrogant young masters and wannabe protagonists alike?

Why is life so hard for the Icy Beauty?

Any corrections or criticisms are welcome, I hope you enjoy Chapter 3: A Lesson learnt
---

Bing Meilu walked through Jiang City, ignoring the whispers of pointing children. Despite the name, Jiang City was more of a small town, only given such a grand name because the Jiang Family who ruled it would feel slighted if it was referred to as anything less. In the end, the town was small enough that rumours spread as fast as wildfire and already news of her encounter with the boys bullying Zhang Yi had been told and retold a hundred times.

However, Bing Meilu was not perturbed by the derision of the small mortal children. She instead made her way to the same place she had met Zhang Yi, a lone tree in the middle of a wide, grassy field.

The young boy stood there, the wind blowing through his ebony hair. He stared at her silently as she approached.

Today would be the first of the lessons Bing Meilu had promised Zhang Yi. It was slightly annoying to have to waste her time instructing a mortal boy, but having him follow her around like a baby duckling would be far more annoying.

Bing Meilu bit her lip slightly, deep in thought. She knew thousands of martial arts, courtesy of her unending lifespan, but none were suitable for a mortal, much less a child. Bing Meilu sifted through her memories, selecting the weakest martial art she could remember.

It was a rather weak martial art known as the Nine Heavenly Stances of the Immemorial Palace Gate, and Bing Meilu had trained in it back when she was only at the peak of the Immortal Realm, Dao Decimating.

"Good morning Junior Sister Bing," Zhang Yi greeted.

Bing Meilu raised her eyebrow at the form of address. Zhang Yi was in all likelihood older than her, so for him to address her as Junior Sister was technically proper. However, while Bing Meilu could swallow her pride and allow herself to be referred to something other than 'Your Highest Majesty' or 'Your Utmost Excellency', she drew the line at being called a Junior of this little boy.

"Call me Senior Sister Bing," Bing Meilu instructed tonelessly. "And I will call you Junior Brother Zhang."

The quiet boy nodded his head wordlessly, unperturbed about his shift downwards in the hierarchy.

"Now, Junior Brother Zhang, how much training do you have in fighting?" Bing Meilu inquired.

The boy had been beaten brutally the day before, so Bing Meilu assumed he lacked any training in the martial way.

"... None," Zhang Yi admitted, confirming Bing Meilu's thoughts. "Is that bad?"

"No, it just means I don't have to break you out of any bad habits," Bing Meilu answered, shaking her head.

Any training in lowly martial arts would only hinder him from comprehending the profundity of the Nine Heavenly Stances of the Immemorial Palace Gate, his body and mind accustomed to using lesser arts.

"Now, tell me, do you know what the Nine Palaces are?" Bing Meilu questioned.

Surprisingly, Zhang Yi nodded affirmatively.

"Yes, the Nine Palaces are the nine experiences in life that allows one to attain enlightenment. The Palaces are Health, Wealth, Prosperity, Relationships, Creativity, Travel, Employment, Family and Wisdom. Once one has 'passed' through each of the Nine Palaces-." Zhang Yi said.

"You don't need to explain the Nine Palaces to me, I already know what they are," Bing Meilu cut off. "However, I would like to know where you learned about them."

While the Nine Palaces were not exactly an obscure or esoteric concept, it was doubtful that a peasant boy like Zhang Yi would have stumbled across them normally.

"My grandfather used to volunteer at the Daoist temple and sweep up incense ashes. He picked up a few things and sometimes taught them to me," Zhang Yi shrugged noncommittally.

"I see then," Bing Meilu nodded. "Then this will be a lot easier for me. The technique I will be teaching you is known as the Nine Heavenly Stances of the Immemorial Palace Gate. Each stance conforms to one of the Nine Palaces, and once you master all nine, you will attain ultimate mastery over the trials and tribulations of life."

"... That sounds rather gaudy and over-exaggerated," Zhang Yi stated questioningly.

"Do you want to learn it or not?" Bing Meilu asked coldly.

"I do!" Zhang Yi quickly responded.

"Then stop questioning it," Bing Meilu ordered. "I will now begin training you in the first stance, which pertains to the palace of Prosperity."

"Straighten your shoulders... Legs wider apart... Loosen those muscles..." immediately Bing Meilu got to work on instructing Zhang Yi.

She first fixed his stance, posture and form, then moving on to show him how to walk and run without having to leave stance.

Bing Meilu was pleasantly surprised at how fast of a learner Zhang Yi was for a mortal. He picked up new concepts like a sponge absorbed water. At this rate, she could finish their deal in only a few weeks instead of the months she had expected.

Bing Meilu was, of course, not planning on teaching him the entire martial art, only the basics and foundations. Any of the actual techniques or moves would require an active cultivation base and Qi to spare. Nevertheless, just the basic forms should be enough to deal with the petty bullies that had assaulted him yesterday- and splashed blood on her eminent self.

"Now, that's all for today," Bing Meilu stated. "Leave so that I may begin my meditation."

Zhang Yi nodded wordlessly, turning away to leave. Bing Meilu sighed in relief.

"Now I can finally get to meditation," Bing Meilu sighed, closing her eyes.

---

Zhang Yi walked alone through the streets of Jiang City. His well-worn robes waved in the wind, far too large for his thin and slim body. They had been hand-me-downs from his grandfather's own youth since Zhang Yi could not afford to get a new pair.

The boy continued walking until he reached a dimly lit alleyway. He stepped inside of it, slowly making his way to the dead-end at the back of the alley. There lay a small, humble shrine. A pot of rice next to a bundle of flowers and some sticks of cheap incense.

Zhang Yi kneeled before the shrine, grabbing one of the sticks of incense. He placed it in a crudely made, hand-carved wooden holder while grabbing a pair of flintstones. Zhang Yi began to crack the flintstones together, small sparks flying off them and onto the stick of incense. It took several minutes of repeated attempts for the incense to light, but once it did, Zhang Yi bowed deeply towards the shrine.

"Good morning, grandfather," Zhang Yi said morosely.

Zhang Yi had been born an orphan, his mother a prostitute who died in childbirth, and his father nowhere to be seen. He had been adopted by Zhang Lu, his grandfather, who ran a small antique shop. Although they had not been wealthy, they had been happy.

However, that had not lasted forever. Zhang Y's grandfather had died, ostensibly of old age, but Zhang Yi knew the truth. His grandfather had been killed, over the very copper coin that now hung around Zhang Yi's neck.

It had been sold to them by a mysterious passerby, along with a well-made mahogany box and Zhang Lu, deciding it was not very valuable, had fashioned it into a necklace for Zhang Yi.

The next night a thief had broken into the shop, taking nothing but the mahogany box, and leaving Zhang Yi's grandfather dead.

Since that day, Zhang Yi had lost everything. His grandfather had died and the shop had been stolen by the Jiang family. Even the engagement he had with the daughter of a well to do merchant had been torn to shreds.

Zhang Yi had survived on the streets, doing odd jobs in return for food or meagre pay, and enduring relentless bullying by other children.

"One day, I will take revenge for you, grandfather," Zhang Yi swore to the shrine, standing up.

The young boy left the alleyway, walking back through the city. He needed to find a job if he wanted to eat anything today. As Zhang Yi walked, he began to feel an uncomfortable tingling on the back of his neck. The boy immediately spun around, seeing Li Renlong and his three bootlickers.

Of all the people who tormented Zhang Yi, none were crueller than Li Renlong. It was his sister that Zhang Yi had been engaged to and the day their engagement had been cancelled, the boy had begun to assault Zhang Yi.

"As grandfather used to say," Zhang Yi muttered, begging to run away. "The fastest way to win a fight is to avoid it!"

Zhang broke into a mad sprint, desperately running from Li Renlong, who began to follow in turn.

Suddenly, a fist slammed into the side of his face, knocking Zhang Yi to the ground. Zhang Yi looked up to see Li Jinglong standing above him grinning cruelly.

Li Jinglong did not often involve himself in the attacks on Zhang Yi, but when he did, they were always far more brutal.

By then, Li Renlong and his subordinates had arrived, laughing to themselves.

"That witch isn't here to save you now, little worm," Li Renlong laughed.

Zhang Yi slowly stood up, eyeing the five boys warily. Subconsciously, his body shifted into the stance that Senior Sister Bing had taught him.

"She's not a witch," Zhang Yi objected, frowning.

Bing Meilu had been the only person to save him, even if she hadn't really meant to. That automatically made her a very good person in Zhang Yi's opinion.

"Do you really have the face to attack me now, after having run away from a small girl?" Zhang Yi asked. "I suppose, if I had known that small girls were your secret weakness, I could have finished you off ages ago."

"That's funny coming from the person less intimidating than a small girl," Li Jinglong laughed stepping forward. "I suppose now that you've realized my sister is too good for an urchin like you, you've begun to pursue that witch?"

Zhang Yi narrowed his eyes, suddenly dodging to the side, a fist missing his head by mere millimetres.

Although Zhang Yi didn't know this, couldn't know this, the Nine Heavenly Stances of the Immemorial Palace Gate was far beyond any ordinary martial art. It was a technique inherently connected to the universal principle of 'the Nine Palaces', and simply by training in the most basic stance of it, he had begun to draw on the power inherent in such a concept.

Specifically, he had begun to train in the first stance of 'prosperity'. Bad luck had begun to shed from him, washing away from his body like water over a lotus leaf. At the same time, good fortune had begun to abound around him.

Dozens of blows shot at Zhang Yi, each missing him by only a hair's breadth, as he nimbly dodged each attack.

Zhang Yi's own fist shot back in retaliation, slamming into Li Jinglong's left shoulder.

Li Jinglong, who had recently injured his left shoulders in a spar, screamed as the old wound flared up. Zhang Yi ducked, slamming another punch into Li Jinglong's... 'family jewels'.

"Aaah!" the older boy screamed, falling to the ground.

Zhang Yi turned left, sweeping his foot at the legs of one of the boys who followed Li Renlong. The boy fell to the floor, only for Zhang Yi to stomp roughly on his ankle joint, a loud snapping sound erupting as the bone popped out of its socket.

Sobbing sounds filled the air as the injured nursed their wounds, Zhang Yi jumping backwards to avoid a wild swing from Li Renlong.

He looked down noticing an empty glass bottle, that had once likely stored alcohol. Zhang Yi picked up the glass bottle, jumping forward to slam it down on Li Renlong's head.

The bottom end of the glass smashed onto Li Renlong's head, knocking him to the floor.

Left with a now jagged bottle of glass, Zhang Yi glared at the final boy, who gulped fearfully.

"Get out of here," Zhang Yi stated, imitating the cold authoritative tone of his teacher as best he could.

The final boy nodded nervously, before turning on his heel and running away as fast as he could.

Zhang Yi sighed, dropping the bottle onto the floor.

That had been the first time he had ever beaten off his assailants. Zhang Yi was a slim, sickly boy, primarily due to his malnutrition. He simply couldn't put out the raw power of the wealthier children who could afford to eat each day.

"I suppose sometimes technique beats brute force," Zhang Yi smiled.

He had his teacher to thank for this. not only had she saved him, but she had even taught him how to hold off the Li Jinglong and his friends.

"I wonder where teacher learnt how to fight like that?" Zhang Yi muttered.

He hadn't even noticed the fact he had subconsciously begin to refer to Bing Meilu as 'Teacher' rather than 'Senior Sister', her status in his eyes rising beyond that of someone from the same generation.

---

Bing Meilu yawned as she stood up, stretching her dainty limbs. It was already almost evening, the sun lazily falling down the horizon, illuminating the sky a dim orange.

Yang Qi would slowly decline as the solar luminary fell and the lunar luminary rose, the air filling with chilling Yin Qi.

Bing Meil had always thought that dusk was a beautiful moment, to those sensitive to Qi underlying the world. One could observe as Yin and Yang mingled in the air, forming profound transformation in the cycle of existence. Disappointingly, Bing Meilu, as a mortal, was now blind to those beautiful astral phenomena.

The ten-year-old girl shook her head, clearing away the nostalgia. She could reminisce later.

Bing Meilu began to make her way back to her family farmhouse on the outskirts of town. As she walked she caught sight of a cultivator dressed in robes that marked him as an outer disciple of the Heroic Dive Sect. The young man swaggered arrogantly across the road towards Jiang City, his wide robes fluttering in the wind. Bing Meilu shook her head disdainfully. Someone that weak actually walked so arrogantly?

"Don't block the road, trash," Bing Meilu remarked offhandedly as she passed the cultivator.

Feng Xiaochun stopped still in shock as he heard the casual remark from the small girl. As a cultivator from the 11th ranked Heroic Dive Sect, he was not unused to being looked down upon but...

"Did a mortal girl just call me trash?" Feng Xiaochun asked himself, still stunned, before shaking his head. "I must have drunk too much today. Time to head back to the sect."

 

[ninjastar]

Transmigrated back into the body of her child self, can the mighty Celestial Bing Meilu survive in a Xianxia world all the while staving off the advances of arrogant young masters and wannabe protagonists alike?

Why is life so hard for the Icy Beauty?

Any corrections or criticisms are welcome, I hope you enjoy Chapter 4: Ravenous Blood

---

Bing Meilu walked towards the door of her home, sighing slightly. She was somewhat surprised that she had seen a cultivator in Jiang City. Bing Meilu had no memories of there ever being cultivators in the city. However, she dismissed the event as irrelevant and moved forward. It was entirely possible she had missed him in her previous life.

The young girl pushed open the door to her family's home, the wood creaking loudly. As she walked into the farmhouse, Bing Meilu noticed the smell of spices filling the air, no doubt from her mother's cooking.

She gently removed her sandals, slowly walking forwards from the entrance into the room that served as both a kitchen and a dining room. Bing Meilu's mother was toiling atop a large black pot, stirring a thick broth while steam poured out of it. A small wood flame heated the bottom of the pot, letting out thin smoke.

Bing Meilu's maternal grandmother and father, Ying Shanxi and Ying Lan sat at the dinner table, patiently waiting for their daughter to finishing cooking.

Bing Meilu bowed towards them stiffly, cupping her hands in greeting.

"Bing Meilu greets grandmother and grandfather," she said curtly.

Ying Shanxi, her grandmother hummed lightly, pressing her lips into a thin line.

"You're finally home," the elderly woman said, a tone of disapproval entering her voice.

Ever since Bing Meilu had scared off the boys attacking Zhang Yi, terrifying them, rumours about her had begun to spread, amongst other things, making her out to be an evil witch of some sort. Ying Shanxi felt that Bing Meilu's action had lost face for the family and ruined her chances of a good marriage. If Bing Meilu had not been a young girl with a weak constitution, she was sure she would have been beaten severely.

"I heard you've been hanging out with that vagabond boy, Zhang Yi!" the grandmother said, disapprovingly. "If you spend too much time with him, rumours will spread that you've lost your maidenhood, and then I'll definitely never be able to marry you off!"

Bing Meilu had to stop herself from scoffing at the idea. Both of marrying some mortal man and of her sleeping with Zhang Yi. Of course, she could not tell her grandmother that she had no plans of ever getting married, especially to some mortal man twice her age.

"Rest assured," Bing Meilu started, "That I would never commit such a deplorable stain on our family's honour. All the gossip is just that, gossip. Zhang Yi simply happens to train martial arts in the same field I often meditate. We are at best, acquaintances."

"You've missed the point, deary," her grandmother harrumphed. "It doesn't matter whether you actually have, it only matters whether people think you have! In fact, people are already gossiping about it! How will I ever find you a virtuous husband at this point?"

"Relax, wife," Bing Meilu's grandfather, Ying Lan finally interrupted. "We can discuss this after supper. If you spend so much time worrying, you'll age prematurely!"

Ying Shanxi sighed but dropped the topic. The head of the household had spoken and it would be improper to disobey him.

Bing Meilu had a much better impression of her grandfather than her grandmother. He was a retired army veteran who now spent his days farming. He was much more relaxed about Bing Meilu doing unladylike things such as martial arts training and spending time out in the fields.

"Daughter, how long until the stew is ready?" Ying Lan called out.

"Only a few more minutes, father!" Bing Wuying replied quickly, continuing her stirring.

Indeed, only three minutes later, Bing Wuying lifted the pot off of the cooking flame and brought into onto the table. The delicious scent of spices and meat wafted out of the container and into the air. While eating meat was rather uncommon for peasant farmers, Bing Meilu's family had a small farm of pigs and any unsold meat would have to be eaten lest it go off.

Immediately, Bing Wuying served the pot of piping hot pork stew, first to her parents and then to herself and Bing Meilu, who tried to contain her grimace as she delicately sipped the stew. It was hard to get used to eating mortal food again. The taste was not necessarily bad, but it fell far short of the delicious immortal delicacies that she had previously enjoyed.

As the family ate, Bing Meilu began to frown. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and a chill ran down her spine. A strangely foreboding atmosphere had filled the air. Bing Meilu snapped her head to look around warily.

As a mortal, Bing Meilu lacked any of the special sensory powers she had possessed as a cultivator, however even as a mortal she still retained one thing.

Instinct.

It was something all animals possessed. The atavistic capacity to subconsciously recognize cues and make inferences that the conscious mind failed to notice. Often, even before humans knew there was going to be rain, deer had already fled the coming hurricane.

Instinct was not a supernatural ability or any form of mysticism. Rather it was simply a form of pattern recognition. The subconscious mind was very perceptive to small things, such as the moisture in the air, ambient noises and changes in temperature. These subtle factors that the conscious often neglected to notice could be warning signs of dangerous oncoming events.

So what was it? What was her instinct trying to tell her? What had Bing Meilu's subconscious recognized that she had not?

Bing Meilu closed her eyes, straining her hearing. She could hear distant chatter, the sound of clacking utensils and breathing, and beyond that, nothing.

And that was the problem.

The birds.

This far north, this time of year, there the birds would be returning from their southern migration. The sound of chirps and bird songs would fill the air! Bing Meilu had so long gotten used to the constant cacophony of noise that she barely even noticed them anymore. Yet, for some reason, the birds had gone eerily silent.

Bing Meilu looked out the window of her home. She could see birds flying through the air frantically, heading west.

Bing Meilu stood up, face perfectly calm.

"Mother, do we have any swords? Spears? Axes?" She asked tonelessly.

"What are you doing, Meilu?" her mother responded. "Sit down and finish your dinner!"

"Look outside the window," Bing Meilu sharply instructed. "Do you see the birds?"

"Yes, I see them. What does it matter?" Bing Wuying answered, peering her head outside. "They are just flying around.."

"Noy flying," Bing Meilu corrected. "fleeing."

"Feeling from what?" Bing Wuying asked, frowning. "This sounds silly."

"No, she's right," Ying Lan interrupted. "In my thirty years of living here, I've never seen the birds react like this. It's highly unusual-"

Ying Lan was cut off by an eruption of noise. All across the village dogs began to bark loudly, relentless shouting into the air. Cows loudly called out, mooing. Chickens and roosters began to bleat.

Ying Lan stood up from the table, a frown covering his weathered face.

"I have a spear from my old army days," Ying Lan said, making his way out of the house. "You three stay here, granddaughter, go wake your brother!"

For the animals in the village to react like that... There was undoubtedly something coming, and Bing Melu already had her suspicious of what it was.

She ran towards the bedroom room, where her brother slept soundly. Bing Meilu grabbed his arm, shaking him roughly.

"Wake up!" she shouted.

Bing Meilu's little brother, Bing Wei stirred from his slumber, yawning slightly.

"What is it, Big Sis?" he muttered tiredly. "I'm trying to sleep,"

"An emergency," Bing Meilu responded. "Get up now!"

The boy widened his eyes, nodding. He quickly jumped out of bed, looking around alarmed.

Bing Meilu tugged his arm, pulling Bing Wei out of the bedroom and leading him into the kitchen, where Bing Wuying and Ying Shanxi stood.
Bing Wei ran over to his mother and clutched her leg, shaking in fear.

"What's going on, mother," he asked wide-eyed.

"It's nothing," Bing Wuying replied, tussling his hair. "Everything will be alright."

Bing Meilu shook her head, walking to the front of the farmhouse. She pushed open the door, striding forward and picking up the pace.

"Young lady," shouted her grandmother. "Get back here at once!"

"Don't worry, you guys make sure to stay inside!" Bing Meilu shouted. "I'm just going to go see what is going on!"

Bing Meilu could see dozens of men pouring out of their homes. Many clutched simple farm tools, hoes, rakes and scythes. Others held real weapons, swords, axes and maces.

"Over here!" a voice shouted. It was her grandfather. Immediately, the dozens of men ran over to where he stood, forming up around the man. Ying Lan was a respected war veteran and was held in high regard by the community.

"Senior," one young man asked. "What's going on? All the dogs, and all the animals. Why are they so scared?"

Bing Meilu made her way to the back of the crowd of men, watching. Thick tension filled the air, sweat dripping down the villagers.

"I think I have an idea," Ying Lan grimly replied, pointing east. "Do you see that?"

The gathered peasants turned their heads in the direction Ying Lan had indicated, gulping as they caught sight of what Ying Lan had noticed.

A dense pillar of black fog rose from the skin of an enormous boar. The creature stood ten feet tall, huge jagged tusks jutting out of it's face like white spears of bone. Dark red stains covered the tips of the tusks, no doubt the dried blood of its prey. A red light flickered from the cruel eyes of the beast. Its dull black skin shone like beaten iron as it slowly trotted towards the village.

"Is that-"

"It's a Demon," Ying Lan answered grimly. "I've seen a few back in the old days. The black fog, the red eyes. It's unmistakable!"

A palpable wave of fear rippled through the crowd, many men beginning to shake in terror.

Demons were known to many only as horrific creatures of bloodlust and evil. They were beings that had once been mundane things, anywhere from animals, plants or even inanimate objects like drops of blood or rocks. Then, they had slowly mutated, absorbing Qi from the air and becoming cultivators. More often than not, these creatures went on rampages, slaughtering humans and tearing through villages.

They were the great enemy of humankind, the unending horde of monstrosities that infringed upon the foundation of civilization. All across the continent, small villages and towns had to live in constant fear of annihilation by these creatures.

"But-But," One man muttered, frozen in terror. "they are not supposed to exist this far north..."

Indeed, the far north of the Bird Talon Content was desolate in terms of Qi. Not a single sect was based there, and no Demons would naturally form there.

"it must have migrated from the south," Ying Lan announced. "Seeking easier prey..."

As the massive creature slowly approached the village, tremors began to run through the earth from its enormous hooves. The beast's thick and powerful muscles rippled underneath its equally thick hide.

The Demon lowered its head, its tusks begging to tear up the earth as it sped up.

"It's charging!" Ying Lan shouted, running to the side, eyes wide.

The villagers screamed some dodging, some frozen in place by the fear. Those too slow to get out of the creature's way were instantly torn through by the beast's massive tusks, blood, gore and bits of flesh flying through the air as three men were ripped apart by the tusks of the charging beast.

The Demon laughed, a booming deep thunder that rang out in the air. The beast opened its mouth, a massive tongue shooting out to lick up the dead men. It closed its jaw, slowly crunching and grinding the dismembered body parts in its teeth. Sickening crunches and splashes of blood issued out of its mouth as it feasted.

The boar looked up from what remained of its meal at the rest of the villagers, who had warily encircled it, weapons raised. The beast's stomach shook, a bellowing chuckle erupting from it. It looked down at the humans surrounding it disdainfully as if it were a tiger laughing at the attempts of a mouse to slay it.

Simply based on size and appearance, the Demon should be in the fifth or sixth tier of Qi Condensation. To kill a creature like with only mortals would require dozens of well-armed, well-trained soldiers fighting in unison.

Or a small group of untrained, poorly armed, scattered peasants lead by a former Paragon.

 

[ninjastar]

Transmigrated back into the body of her child self, can the mighty Celestial Bing Meilu survive in a Xianxia world all the while staving off the advances of arrogant young masters and wannabe protagonists alike?

Why is life so hard for the Icy Beauty?

Any corrections or criticisms are welcome, I hope you enjoy Chapter 5: Risk and Reward
---

Simply based on size and appearance, the Demon should be in the fifth or sixth tier of Qi Condensation. To kill such a creature with only mortals would require dozens of well-armed, well-trained soldiers fighting in unison.

Or a small group of untrained, poorly armed, scattered peasants lead by a former Paragon.

Bing Meilu exhaled lightly as she considered the dilemma. Currently, she was a small peasant girl with little status and no fame. It would be virtually impossible to convince dozens of untrained villagers to follow her orders in a chaotic, life and death battle.

Of course, it was only by listening to her that they would even have a shred of a chance of survival. Bing Meilu's intelligent eyes flashed across the battlefields, rapidly collecting information.

Thirty-four men. All mortal. Likely little to no training.

Seven with spears. Two with swords. Five with maces. Twelve with pitchforks.

The rest had a scattering of random items. Pots and pans, sticks and rakes.

One Demon. Likely between the fifth and sixth tier of Qi Condensation. Thick hide that will block anything more than superficial damage.

As Bing Meilu inspected the battlefield, the Demon, finished with its meal of human flesh, turned its head around to look down at the scattered men. It lowered its head, pointing its curved tusks forward, like lances of bone.

"Ten seconds until it charges!" Bing Meilu shouted loudly.

Her high pitched young voice cut through the air like a whistle, drawing the attention of many of the men. They looked at her confused.

"Who the hell..." one man muttered, only to be interrupted when Bing Meilu continued to speak.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one and zero," Bing Melu said, counting down.

True to her words, the moment the word zero left Bing Meilu's lips, the massive black hide-covered boar burst forward. It lowered its head, pointing its long white tusks straight ahead to where a group of ten men had gathered.

The men's eyes widened as they realized Bing Meilu had been right. Immediately, they began to scatter, running out of the beast's way.

Most of the men had immediately registered Bing Meilu's warning and evaded the Demon's charge.

One did not.

Bing Meilu shook her head in pity as his blood watered the soil. It was a young boy, no older than sixteen, trembling in his boots. A mortal who had no place fighting a Demon. The boar's tusks tore through the boy, shredding his body into pieces and raining blood and bits of torn organs across the grass.

"Life becomes death and death becomes life," Bing Meilu murmured. "Pray you shall have more luck in your next reincarnation."

The Demon's stomach shook, as it let out a deep, rumbling laugh. It was a laugh of disdain, arrogance and pride. Of amusement at the puny humans who held no way of slaying it, who died in vain. It was a laugh that angered Bing Meilu greatly. She glared coldly at the beast.

"Even the deathless can die. In this world there exists nothing that I, Bing Meilu cannot kill," Bing Meilu murmured, narrowing her eyes.

The girl whipped her head around, quickly reassessing the positions of everyone on the battlefield before relaying her next order.

"It will only charge at a large group!" Bing Meilu shouted. "Everyone break apart and surround it, distanced equally!"

The scattered men failed to head her words, running around like chickens with their heads cut off. That made sense. These were not soldiers. They were ordinary peasants. Merchants, farmers and shopkeepers.

The sheer chaos- the tension and ever-present terror of a battlefield were too much for an untrained man to handle. For some the terror would paralyze them, freeing them in place until their inevitable death. Others went into shock, unable to comprehend the world around them, and some simply ran for their lives, ignoring everything but the chaos.

Bing Meilu sighed. Dealing with mortals was far more tiring than she remembered.

Bing Melu strode forward, tearing a cast iron pot from the hand of a frozen, shaking middle-aged man.

"Hey!" the man objected, breaking from his stupor. "What exactly do you think you're-"

Bing Meilu smalled the pan into a rock, a scream of scratching metal filling the air as the pan scraped against the sharp rock. Silence seemed to fill the air, as everyone, from the terrified men to even the Demon-beast turned to look at her.

"Now that I have your attention," Bing Meilu sneered. "All of you listen up! Behind you is Jiang City. Most of you were born there, and most of you will die there. Mortals have such short lives. Most importantly, your children have been born here. What kind of man runs around like a terrified chicken when the lives of his family are at stake? All of you get your acts together! Unless you want to do nothing as your home is torn to the ground by the whims of a raging Demon?!"

"...If that was meant to be an inspirational speech," one of the spear-wielding men shouted back. "You're not doing a good job!"

"Who the hell said anything about inspirational?" Bin Meilu spat. "Let me make it very simple for you. Either you kill the Demon, or it will kill all of you. And your wives. And your children. And your siblings, and your pets and your parents."

"Well what the hell are we supposed to do?' the man shouted back, desperately. "Do you see how massive that thing is? We stand no chance!"

"So long as you listen to me, you will survive," Bing Meilu responded.

"Oh really? Then what do you suggest we do, little girl?" the man yelled. "It tearing us apart!"

"Surround it and disperse. It will only charge at a crowded group, so if you all keep your distance, the beast will not charge. Then, use the greatest power you have! Stab it. It's not invulnerable or something. Stab it, and then stab it again, and keep going until it dies. The concept is very simple to me," Bing Meilu shouted patronizingly.

As she spoke, the demon began to chuckle once again, the deep rumbling noise echoing out. It once more lowered its head, lowering its tusks towards the humans. Clearly, it was about to charge!

"Now!" Bing Meilu shouted. "Scatter and surround it!"

Perhaps spurred on by desperation, the men abandoned their pride following the orders of a little girl. They broke apart from the small groups, running around the Demon.

Those with spears and pitchforks began to stab the beast, driving metal into its thick muscle. Those with swords ran forward, slashing at the hide of the creature, Thick, dark red blood oozed out of shallow wounds, the syrupy liquid slapping into the ground.

The Demon roared a mighty noise that tore through the air. The prideful disdain had disappeared from the beast's eyes, replaced by a burning, mad rage. The Demon swirled around, its tail slamming out like a hammer and shattering the chest of one of the men. It kicked out with its legs, cracking the skull of another.

"Keep your formation!" Bing Meilu shouted sharply.

At the same time, Bing Bing lifted her hand to her mouth, biting down hard on her unprotected flesh. Blood began to drip out of the wound. Bing Meilu, who had been standing far from the battle, ran forward into the ring of men, whipping her arm. Droplets of blood flew off her injured hand, splashing across the battlefield.

'The blood of Men and Beast enshrined within a circle'

Her plan had finally come to fruition.

In truth, against a Demon of this calibre, these men stood no chance of victory. Untrained farmers were not exactly the best at spear-fighting and their attacks were barely making it past the hide of the beast. Essentially, they were all doomed to die.

Or they would have been if Bing Meilu had not intervened.

Steam began to waft out of the litres of blood that watered the grassy field, rising into the air. Without realizing it, the mortals seemingly grew stronger, their attacks penetrating deeper into the flesh of their foe.

The Blood of Heaven-Earth-Man was a battle formation with little redeeming traits. It required a blood sacrifice to activate and gave a comparatively small power boost to those using it. However, it drew on the innate life force found within the blood of all living beings and thus required no cultivation to initiate. Bing Meilu had never imagined she would find herself in a scenario where such a useless formation could have a purpose, but oftentimes, reality was stranger than fiction.

The villagers let out battle cries, fighting more fiercely than ever before. Stabs that had previously failed to pierce the muscle of the Demon began to tear through flesh. Blows that had been reflected off of the beast's hide began to crush bone.

The maddened Demon let loose a blood-curdling roar. Black fog suddenly erupted from its skin and knocking back all the villagers, sending them sprawling on the dirt.

Bing Meilu ran forward, grabbing a spear from the ground. Then, with form that was beyond perfect, she whipped the spear forward, sending it careening through the air. The metal blade stabbed into the eye of the Demon, piercing through the eye and impaling the brain of the beast. With a final roar of defiance, the Demon collapsed to the ground, dead.

"... Still got it!" Bing Meilu exclaimed.

She walked forward, towards the massive, trembling corpse. Bing Meilu grabbed the spear, tearing it out of the eye of the boar. Immediately fluid began to gush out of the Demon's popped eye.

Bing Meilu turned away, noticing the gazes of the dozens of villagers from where they lay on the ground. The first to stand was Bing Meilu's own grandfather. He walked towards her, using his spear as a cane.

"Granddaughter, I think you have a lot to explain."

---

 

[ninjastar]

Transmigrated back into the body of her child self, can the mighty Celestial Bing Meilu survive in a Xianxia world all the while staving off the advances of arrogant young masters and wannabe protagonists alike?

Why is life so hard for the Icy Beauty?

Any corrections or criticisms are welcome, I hope you enjoy Chapter 6: Respect and Response

---
"Granddaughter, I think you have a lot to explain."

"What do you mean by that, Grandfather?" Bing Meilu asked airily.

"You know what I mean," Ying Lan replied, frowning. "A little slip of a girl like you who has never fought before shouldn't be so skilled in the art of war. How did you strategize and command the villagers? How did you throw that spear so well?"

"My natural inborn talent," Bing Meilu shrugged. "As the saying goes 'a sharp stick protrudes'. Perhaps this was simply heaven's way of allowing my ability to shine."

Ying Lan simply raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"Furthermore, It was not some great achievement. All I did was remind the people of Jiang that they did, in fact, have pointy spears with which they could use to fight. The rest was they did themselves," Bing Meilu continued, deflecting.

In truth, her battle formation was the only reason the village was still standing, but placing the credit on the villagers would make her appear far less suspicious, much as it irked her pride to allow others to steal her glory.

"I see..." Ying Lan said, but the suspicious look in his eye implied otherwise. "It's a shame you weren't born a son. Then, you may have one day become a great general."

Bing Meilu scoffed internally but nodded.

When she conquered this pitiful realm, then her grandfather would see a 'great general'.

"Yes, Grandfather," Bing Meilu said impassively. "Now, I do believe it is time I head to bed-"

"Nonsense. We've all just survived a Demon attack! This warrants some celebration. We'll roast the Demon's meat and break out some wine. After that, we'll have to hold a funeral for those who died. You fought with us, so you have to celebrate with us!" Ying Lan said, cracking a smile.

"Yes, however, I am but a frail little girl with a weak constitution," Bing Meilu alleged. "I'm afraid if I stay up late drinking wine and roast meat, I'll keel over dead."

In truth, Bing Meilu simply didn't want to stay around and party with a crowd of filthy, sweaty mortals, but she couldn't exactly tell that to her grandfather. He seemed rather excited by the prospect of a celebration, afterall.

"Nonsense," the man said, repeating his earlier words. "After stabbing a spear straight through the skull of a raging Demon, you qualify to have a little wine. I don't think you'll find anyone willing to believe you have a 'weak constitution' anymore."

"...Yes, grandfather," Bing Meilu sighed.

'When one stands under low eaves they must bow their head' Bing Meilu thought. With her current status, she couldn't refuse her grandfather's orders. Bing Meilu could tolerate attending a party, she supposed. In her ascent to Celestialhood, she had been forced to attend many functions and banquets she did not want to.

"Great! Brothers, I'll go fetch some wine, someone get some cups and plates, and some grilling tools. This will be a great feast. Let's have a great celebration," Ying Lan laughed.

He, along with a few others left, presumably to grab wine, food and inform the other villagers that danger was gone.

The rest of the village men, many of whom were still knocked on the floor, cheered loudly. They lifted themselves off the ground, shouting and laughing. It was only natural they would be excited, having just barely survived a brush with death.

For a mortal that only lived a short life of less than a century, each year they continued living was something to treasure. When you had little of something it was only natural to value it.

Bing Meilu had a very different perspective, having touched upon greater truths. Life was not limited, it was an eternal cycle governed by a higher law. If she died, at most she would reincarnate once more, and life would continue.

Bing Meilu shook her head, stretching slightly to relieve the tension that had invaded her back. It was pathetic that she had actually been forced to use a formation to deal with a Demon in Qi Condensation. Once more, Bing Meilu lamented her current lack of cultivation.

However, suddenly a cold smile stretched across Bing Meilu's face, and she immediately discarded the idea of giving up credit for the Demon's death.

Bing Meilu did not cultivate because she was still too young. At age ten, if she awoke her Dantian, it would permanently damager her foundation, and she lacked the reagents necessary to remedy that problem.

Now, that had changed.

Bing Meilu strode towards the corpse of the Demon, stabbing her spear into its head. When Demons cultivated, Qi would collect into a solid crystal core in the center of their brains. There were certain expectations to this, but nearly, a always core would be present. By harvesting the Core, she could enact a special awakening method. It would allow her to begin cultivating immediately without harming herself.

"I know you lot are all celebrating, but I have an important announcement to make!" Bing Meilu shouted.

The various villagers quieted down to look at her.

"What is it?" one asked.

"Since I was the one who killed it," Bing Meilu said. "This Demon corpse belongs to me."

Immediately shouting and booing broke out.

"We all fought for it, so why the hell is the whole thing yours?" one man disputed

"Yeah, what he said. If it weren't for us, you wouldn't have been able to kill it!" another, a spear-wielding short man argued, shouting.

"If it weren't for me, you'd all be dead, giving that none of you even had the balls to fight it," Bing Meilu sneered. "Quit the bragging coward. You have less guts than a small child! In what way are you entitled to the Demon? Show me where you cut it!"

The spear wielder's face turned red, but he didn't reply. Any further response would just embarrass him more.

Nevertheless, Bing Meilu did not actually want or need the entire corpse. However, by claiming the whole thing, she could negotiate down to what she actually needed. Namely the Core, which was located in the head of the Demon.

"But, since Benevolence is a virtue, and out of filial respect for my elders, I won't take the whole thing. I'll be taking the head, bones and hide. The rest of it, the flesh, blood and organs can be used for this feast. After all, eating Demon flesh is great for health!" Bing Meilu continued coldly.

While eating the Qi saturated flesh, organs and blood of a demon did indeed have immense benefits, it wasn't suitable for Bing Meilu's particular path of cultivation, as it was addled with impurities and bloodlust.

"That's ridiculous!" another cried. "That distribution isn't fair at all! Even if you did more than most, you don't deserve that much. We all fought. Plus, compensation should be given to the families of those who died. Remember, there's no greater calamity than being consumed by greed."

"I disagree," Bing Meilu said, eyebrow rising. "I was the one who killed the Demon, and the one who organized you lot. As far as I'm concerned, I'm already being overly generous by giving up on the flesh and organs. If I sold those I could live conformably for the rest of my life. Why don't you stop being greedy?"

By this point, Bing Meilu's grandfather and the other villagers had returned, returned, carrying large buckets of rice wine and utensils.

"Granddaughter, being overly miserly is not the behaviour of a proper lady," he called out. "You may keep the head, to commiserate your kill, but the rest should be distributed between all of the men."

"...Yes, grandfather," Bing Meilu sighed, rolling her eyes.

The head and the Core within was really the only part she cared about, but being able to sell the corpse for some spending money would have been nice. Yet, she couldn't disobey the head of her family. At least not until she had begun to cultivate, so Bing Meilu acquiesced.

"Brother Ying is benevolent," one of the men laughed. "Why don't you have the first taste of the meat?"

"Not until we've all had some wine to wash our throats," Ying Lan laughed, opening a barrel.

The extremely strong smell of fermented wine flowed out of the container. Bing Meilu wrinkled her nose, turning away. However, perhaps noticing that, Bing Meilu's grandfather called her over.

"Granddaughter, come here and have some wine," he ordered.

Bing Meilu sighed, sharply walking towards him. He handed her a cup of the strong-smelling liquid. Bing Meilu gulped it down, immediately bursting into a fit of coughing. Her throat burnt as if liquid flame had scalded her esophagus.

Ying Lan downed his own glass before bursting out laughing.

"Can't handle your wine, eh?" he said, shoulders shaking with amusement.

"Of course I can!" Bing Meilu scoffed, pouring herself another cup of the wine.

She tipped her glass down her throat swallowing the liquid flame and suppressing her coughs.

As Bing Meilu drank, some of the villagers began to start a large fire, while others began to skin the Demon. Soon, the pleasant smell of cooking meat filled the air.

The rest of the villagers, mainly women and children began to pour out of their homes, making their way over the battlefield.

One, in particular, strode forward, a well clothed rather chubby man draped in fineries. It was none other than Lord Jiang, the ruler of the city. Clearly having been informed of the Demon attack, he immediately walked towards Ying Lan.

"Ying Lan," Lord Jiang started. "How bad was it?"

Although Ying Lan was only a poor farmer, he was also a former soldier who commanded great respect. When it came to combat and the defence of the village, even Lord Jiang would defer to him.

"It went far better than it could have," Ying Lan said, his voice serious. "Luckily we managed to stave it off with only a few casualties. In fact, my own granddaughter managed to kill it with a spear throw!"

"Really?" Lord Jiang said, raising an eyebrow.

He turned to look at the thin, waifish Bing Meilu, becoming even more skeptical. Bing Meilu froze nervously. After all, Lord Jiang was the one man she had wanted to avoid.

During her previous life, Lord Jiang had noticed her beauty and assigned her to be a maid for his daughter. Bing Meilu would definitely not accept working under a mortal, so she had made sure to avoid ever meeting him the way she did in her first childhood.

"Yes," Ying Lan said, a proud smile covering his face. "I don't know where she learnt to throw a spear so well, but she did it."

"Interesting," the city lord said, inspecting Bing Meilu much more strongly. "You must be very proud of her. Killing a demon is no small feat!"

"Of course!" Ying Lan laughed. "Sadly spear skills don't a good wife make. Her grandmother keeps nagging me to marry her off but my little Meilu is too cold to attract any men!"

"I have a son around her age," Lord Jiang smiled. "Why don't we engage them!"

Bing Meilu's jaw dropped slightly. Somehow that was even worse than what had happened in her first life!

"My son doesn't take his martial arts seriously, so maybe having a wife who knows how to fight will motivate him to be less lazy," Lord Jiang laughed. "And I'm always happy to strengthen the blood of my family with talented people."

"Wonderful!" Ying Lan smiled. "We can draft up the marriage agreement immediately!"

"Wait a moment!" Bing Meilu cried. "I can't get married!"

"What are you doing, granddaughter?" Ying Lan frowned angrily. "Lord Jiang's son is a respectable husband for you. In fact, we're lucky the Lord is giving us this chance!"

At the moment, Bing Meilu was more than a little drunk, and her decision-making skills were not at the sharpest. Nevertheless, even in her intoxicated state, she could recognize that she didn't want to marry Lord Jiang's son. Bing Meilu quickly attempted to come up with a good excuse, only for her mind to blank.

"Uh... You see... " Bing Meilu said, failing to think of anything. "... I've actually decided to become a Buddhist nun! Life is ephemeral and to overcome the Sea of Bitterness, one must throw away all connections and possessions. I simply cannot marry. It would be against the Dharma."

"You just killed a demon!' Ying Lan pointed out. "Buddhists are pacifists. Throw away possessions? Didn't you just try and claim that Demon corpse?"

"It's a recent development!" Bing Meilu countered. "The Buddha is merciful!"

"Ridiculous! You'll marry Lord Jiang's son, and that's final!" Ying Lan said angrily. "Besides, our family isn't even Buddhist, nor are there any temples in the city. Where the hell would you have met a Buddhist?!"

"Buddha is everywhere!" Bing Meilu said, trying to convince her grandfather. "He came to me while I was meditating."

"I know enough about Buddhism to know that's not how it works," Ying Lan said, frowning. "This conversation is over."

"Don't worry about her," Lord Jiang smiled. "Every child goes through a rebellious phase. So long as you firmly discipline her, she will still end up becoming a virtuous adult."

"Of course, my lord," Ying Lan said, nodding. "Grandaughter, apologize to Lord Jiang for insulting him!"

Bing Meilu bit her lips angrily but nodded, bowing her head in the direction of the mortal man.

"I . . . am . . . s- ... I am s-" Bing Meilu said, eyebrow twitching.

This was too much! Following the orders of her elders was one thing, but apologizing to a random mortal?

"I... I challenge your son to a duel! if I win I don't have to marry him!" Bing Meilu suddenly shouted, glaring at Lord Jiang drunkenly

"What do you think you're doing!" Shouted Yin Lan. "That's it! Clearly, your mother hasn't been disciplining you enough-"

"No, wait," Lord Jiang said, raising his palm to forestall Ying Lan. "What does my son get if he wins?"

"I'll... agree to the marriage and apologize to you," Bing Meilu replied.

"Hah! Fine then. I've always been a betting man. We'll do it."

 

[ninjastar]

Transmigrated back into the body of her child self, can the mighty Celestial Bing Meilu survive in a Xianxia world all the while staving off the advances of arrogant young masters and wannabe protagonists alike?

Why is life so hard for the Icy Beauty?

Any corrections or criticisms are welcome, I hope you enjoy Chapter 7: Nirvanic Rebirth.
---
"Hah! Fine then. I've always been a betting man. We'll do it."

"Agreed!" Bing Meilu declared coldly. "Whenever your son is ready, I'll take him on.."

"My son's birthday is in three days. Let's have it then," Lord Jiang chuckled. "When he wins, he'll have his anniversary and birthday on the same day. That way, it will be easier for you to remember the dates!"

Bing Meilu scoffed slightly, raising an eyebrow. Did he really think his son stood a chance? She only vaguely remembered Lord Jiang's son from her childhood, but he hadn't been particularly impressive. Certainly not impressive he would stand a chance against her, even in her weakened state.

"It's a deal. If that's all, I really am fatigued from that Demon fight. I shall be heading to bed now," Bing Meilu, done with Lord Jiang, turned over and shouted at the drinking villagers. "You knaves better not touch my Demon head while I sleep!"

Before her grandfather could object, Bing Meilu spun around, quickly striding towards the farmhouse her family lived in. She pushed open the door, walking through the kitchen to the bedroom she shared with her little brother. Bing Meilu's little brother was sound asleep, laying on a crude Kang bed. Bing Meilu lay down on her own. Her young, tired body quickly fell asleep, dreaming.

---
"There is a saying amongst cultivators. 'Cultivators cultivate truth'. Yet Truth will never bring you happiness or joy. When you reach the final summit and strip away falsehood to peer at the Truth of the Great Dao, the only thing that will await you is misery. Knowing this, will you still choose to cultivate? Will you accept my legacy?" spoke the woman.

"Of course!" Bing Meilu declared.

---

The sound of chirping birds woke Bing Meilu, rousing her in the morning. The black-haired girl stood up, stretching her arms and yawning. Her flawless jadelike skin bathed in the warm sunlight of dawn, streaming in through cracks and holes in the wall.

Bing Meilu's head pounded like someone was repeatedly slapping her in the back of the skull. Her stomach rumbled, filled with nausea. Clearly, she had drunk too much last night.

With a sigh, Bing Meilu pushed open the door to her room stepping into the kitchen. Inside, her grandfather and grandmother and mother sat, eating bread. Ying Lan, noticing Bing Meilu was up, immediately gave her a severe look.

"Grandaughter. You're awake," he observed. "Care to explain to me what the hell you were thinking last night?"

"Hmm? Last night?" Bing Meilu asked. "If you mean the wedding, the answer is simple. I have no desire to marry Lord Jiang's son."

"What wrong with your head granddaughter?" Ying Lan shouted. "Do you know how much face you lost for me? Furthermore, you could have offended the Lord! Make no mistake, ultimately, I am the one who will decide who you marry, and regardless of your little bet, you will be marrying Lord Jiang's son!"

"Grandfather, I will not." Bing Meilu replied firmly. "I have my own path in life-"

"You don't know what's best for yourself!" Ying Lan interrupted. "It's a dangerous world. You have no father and I'm already old. What will you do when I die? How do you plan on supporting the family? If you don't have a husband to protect you, you won't have a good fate! Once you marry Jiang Fang, you'll be able to live a comfortable life without hardship! Can't you see that this is what's best for you?"

Having finished his rant, Ying Lan stood up angrily, storming out of the kitchen. Bing Meilu's mother stood up, chasing after her father. Meanwhile, Ying Shanxi set down her bread with a sigh.

"Granddaughter, why must you be so difficult? Do you know how hard your grandfather and I have been working to marry you off? Many women your age are already married, but I couldn't even get you engaged! Then through incredible luck, you were offered a marriage with the most sought-after husband in the city and you decided to turn it down? Are you insane or are you just trying to give your grandfather stress-induced death?" Ying Shanxi said, frowning.

"With all due respect, you don't have to worry about me," Bing Meilu replied coldly. "I know what I'm doing."

"You are only a child. You don't have any life experience. When it comes to decisions, let your elders handle them," Ying Shanxi explained.

'I have more life experience in each individual hair than you will accrue in a billion lifetimes," Bing Meilu thought, shaking her head.

"I will be heading out for some fresh air grandmother," Bing Meilu said, quickly running out of the house before her elder could respond.

The moment Bing Meilu stepped out, her nose was assaulted by the powerful scent of blood and rotting meat. Right next to her home, the massive sat the massive boulder-sized boar-head. It seemed someone had cut it off from the rest of the body and rolled it up to her home.

"I should probably start immediately," Bing Meilu decided.

She would need to harvest the Core of the Demon before it started to decay. However, to do so she would need to cut through the flesh and bone of the head. After all, the Core was contained in the brain of the beast. For that purpose, Bing Meilu would need a good meat carving knife. As for the skull, she could crack it with a rock or something.

While Bing Meilu's family had a few such knives, given they owned a small pig farm, they were with Bing Meilu's grandfather. Given their argument, she did not think he would be in the mood to let her borrow any of them.

Bing Meilu walked through the city, making her way to a butcher shop. As she did so, Bing Meilu noticed many people turning to stare at her and whisper. Clearly, news of last night had already spread across the town.

Eventually, Bing Meilu arrived in the shopping district of the city, stepping into a butcher shop. Large cow carcasses hung in lines from a railing. A tall, well-muscled man stood behind a counter, chopping a piece of meat into slices with a massive butcher knife. This was the town's Butcher, Ren Liong.

"Good morning, how may I help you?" asked the man, looking up at Bing Meilu.

"I need a good meat carving knife," Bing Meilu said. "I'll give you a half a pound of Demon-flesh in exchange."

"Demon flesh? If you actually have any, it's a deal!" the butcher said, smiling widely.

"Great. Now hurry up and get my knife. I have no inclination to waste my time here." Bing Meilu said, rolling her eyes.

"Fine," the butcher said, grabbing a large knife from the table and handing it to her. "You'd better bring the payment to me right after..."

"Don't worry about that," Bing Meilu said coldly, snatching the butchering knife. "You'll get your payment!"

Bing Meilu left the butcher's shop, carrying the massive knife along with her. It was a long stick of thin metal that tapered off to a point, made to both stab and slice. It nearly the size of her forearm, made of cheap cast iron, comically oversized compared to her.

Bing Meilu arrived back outside her home. She walked up to the Demon's head, stabbing her knife through the thick, tough hide that covered the head. Slowly, Bing Meilu carved off the hide, exposing the red, bloody flesh below.

Bing Meilu continued cutting, slicing through the tough muscle and fat of the flesh and collecting it in a farming wheelbarrow. Soon the white bone of the skull was exposed. Then, Bing Meilu grabbed a large rock from the ground, slamming it repeatedly against the skull. She watched as spiderweb cracks grew, creeping along the surface of the bone. Then, with one final strike, the skull shattered, breaking into pieces.

Bing Meilu picked away the broken pieces of bone, leaving the soft pink brain-matter exposed. With a wet squelch, Bing Meilu stabbed her knife into the brain. She began to dig around the brain using her knife, feeling for the hard Core. After several minutes, she felt her knife press against something rock solid. Bing Meilu had found the solid Core.

Steeling her resolve, Bing Meilu stabbed her hand into the cavity she had created with her knife. She felt around the brain, reaching for the area she had felt the core in. Bing Meilu felt the tips of her finger brush against a solid, glassy object. The Core.

Bing Meilu tore her hand out of the brain matter, grasping a grape-sized jewel in her hand. It was clear like glass but stained in blood that gave it a pinkish tinge. However, Bing Meilu was more interested in what the Core stored.

Contained within the crystal lattice was a large amount of powerful, purified Qi. Demon Cores like this had a myriad of uses. They could be used to power Formations, as components of magical treasures and even as resources for cultivation.

What Bing Meilu was interested in was the first use.

To begin Qi Cultivation, one opened their meridians and drew the Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth into their Dantian. However, the Dantian took about twelve years to mature. Start Cultivation even a moment before that and the unfiltered energy would crack the Dantian, permanently damaging one's future cultivation. However, using a Demon Core like this and her transcendent knowledge of Formations, Bing Meilu could create a sort of barrier within her Dantian. The barrier would protect the Dantian from damage until it was finished maturing naturally, while at the same time allowing her to cultivate. It wasn't a perfect solution, but it was the best Bing Meilu could reasonably do with the materials she had on hand.

As the saying went, not even the smartest housewife can cook without rice.

Bing Meilu bit her thumb, drawing blood. She drew eight symbols on her stomach in an octagon connecting them with lines of blood. Then, Bing Meilu lifted the crystal core to her stomach, pressing it onto the bloody symbols. The Qi within the Core rapidly drained out of it and into the Formation. Once depleted, the Core shattered with a high pitched whine.

Immediately after, the symbols began to glow bright red. The Formation was complete. Within Bing Meilu's Dantian, a thin film of red light appeared, covering the inner surface of the organ. Now, Bing Meilu could begin her cultivation.

When she had cultivated for the first time, it had been laid using the cultivation technique of the Moon Crying Swan Palace, the Lunar Swan Cry Index. It was, compared to the techniques Bing Meilu would later learn, complete gutter trash. In fact, Bing Meilu had long since theorized the reason she was unable to reach Paragon was due to the low-quality foundation she had created using the technique.

Now, Bing Meilu had a chance to redo her cultivation, and this time she would settle for nothing less than absolute perfection. The strongest Qi Cultivation Technique Bing Meilu knew was none other than the Crystal Providence Divine Tome. She had received it when she was in the humble Deathless Realm and she had cultivated it all the way to the peak of the Celestial Realm, Birthing Dao.

She was sure that if she had started cultivating it from the Mortal Realms, reaching Paragon would have been far easier.

Then, Bing Meilu took a deep breath. The Spiritual Energy of Heaven and Earth began to rush into her body through her nostrils. She felt it run through her meridians, collecting within her Dantian. Pale blue light gathered around her as she cultivated, creating a halo of beautiful luminescence

The first Realm of Qi Cultivation was known as Qi Condensation. Usually one collected Qi in their Dantian, slowly condensing it from a thin, gaseous state, to a powerful solid form. The Crystal Providence Divine Tome instead instructed her to refine Qi within her Dantian before collecting it within each of her seventy-two Meridian apertures. If done correctly, each meridian would develop into an entire miniature system of meridians, thus allowing her to wield seventy-two times as much Qi as those of the same cultivation level.

With a sound akin to a crack, Qi flooded out of her Dantian, pouring through her meridian channels. Bing Meilu had finally stepped into the Qi Condensation Realm. Channelling the powerful Yin Qi created by the Crystal Providence Divine Tome, a long spear of ice began to coalesce in the air, falling into Bing Meailu's hand. The girl slashed downwards casually, splitting the Demon head in twain.

A smile split Bing Meilu's face in a rare display of emotion. She was back!

 

[ninjastar]

Transmigrated back into the body of her child self, can the mighty Celestial Bing Meilu survive in a Xianxia world all the while staving off the advances of arrogant young masters and wannabe protagonists alike?

Why is life so hard for the Icy Beauty?

Any corrections or criticisms are welcome, I hope you enjoy Chapter 8: A Merciful Deed.
---

Three days later, Bing Meilu sat below a tree while deep in meditation. A slight buzzing noise issued from her Dantain as Qi churned within it. Bing Meilu's cultivation had been steadily advancing, creeping ever closer to a breakthrough.

A tremor filled her body as the Qi within her suddenly began to shrink, thickening. The newly condensed Qi erupted from her Dantian and poured through her meridian channels. This was the basic cycle of the Crystal Providence Divine Tome. She would draw Spiritual Energy into her Dantian, refine it into Qi and then distribute it between her meridians.

"It seems my cultivation speed is much faster now," Bing Meilu said impassively. "As should be expected given the circumstances."

With a slight exhale, the young girl stood up, her long ebony hair blowing in the swirling winds of the northern lands. Having finally begun her cultivation anew, Bing Meilu's emotions felt at ease. The path of cultivation was hard and miserable, but it was a path Bing Meilu knew well. She would always take the dangerous turmoil of life as a cultivator over the uncertain flash of life afforded to mortals.

"Teacher," Bing Meilu heard a voice quietly call.

The young woman turned her head slightly, casting her gaze across a familiar sight. It was that boy, Zhang Yi.

"Zhang Yi," Bing Meilu replied lightly, with a polite nod of her head.

"Can we continue training?" the boy asked, staring at her.

"Are you still incapable of defeating those boys?" Bing Meilu questioned, raising an eyebrow. "I believe you should be more than capable of dealing with them, given what I had taught you."

Zhang Yi stayed silent, and Bing Meilu shook her head. She could not blame the boy for wanting to learn more martial arts from her- if Bing Meilu was not Bing Meilu she would also admire Bing Meilu, but it was better to not involve mortals in the goings-on of cultivators. In that sense, it would simply be wiser to sever the karma between them.

"I believe our business is done then," Bing Meuli said, turning away from the boy. "You should be fully capable of defending yourself now."

Bing Meilu closed her eyes, slowly walking out of the field. Her thin hide shoes scrunched against the thick blades of grass as she walked, making a slight rasping noise.

Bing Meilu continued walking, entering the outskirts of the town. It was the day of her match, and she wanted to end this as quickly as possible. So, Bing Meilu began to pick up her speed until she was racing through the streets. The broth-cloth gown she wore rippled in the air as she sped. Bing Meilu navigated past shops and homes, entering the wealthier part of the town.

There was an almost visible divide between the rich part of the city, where the massive, well-built homes of the wealthy merchants and other upper class lay, and the outskirts where the crude farmhouses and huts of the peasants sat.

Bing Meilu looked around, wandering the rods until she found the grandest house of all, the Jiang Residence. It was a large three-story house built of a shiny redwood and some kind of rough granite.

Outside the home, there was a large fence and gate, where stood two guards in uniform. They were armoured in thick gray hide pads that covered their vitals and joints and armed with long curved Ji Polearms.

"Greetings guardsman. I believe Lord Jiang is expecting me," Bing Meilu said, walking up to the guards.

"Expecting you? Who are you?" the first guard asked.

"My name is Bing Meilu."

"...Oh! That girl that wants to fight the young master?! You really came? Most people assumed you were planning on running away."

"Those people would be wrong."

"Alright, Lee, you stay here. I'll escort the girl in."

The second guard, Lee nodded, stepping to the side as the first guard led Bing Meilu past the fence and gate and to the door of Jiang Residence. He pulled out a large bronze key, pushing it into the lock of the door. With a turn of the key, a loud click sounded from the lock. The guard pushed open the door, which soundlessly slid open. It wasn't easy to get such a massive gate to open so easily.

"Whoever is oiling that hinge deserves a raise," Bing Meilu commented.

The guard gave her a weird look, shaking his head. He stepped past the large door and Bing Meilu followed, stepping into a large entrance chamber. A fire crackled brightly in the corner, working hard to stave off the northern chill.

Lord Jiang sat in a leather seat by the fire, reading a book. Two maids kneeled next to him, one massaging his shoulders while the other washed his feet. The man turned his head, noticing Bing Meilu and the guard.

"Oh? You're here," Lord Jiang said mildly, setting his book down. "That's somewhat unexpected."

Bing Meilu simply raised an eyebrow, not speaking. After a moment of silence, Lord Jiang stood up.

"My son is in the field behind our home. Please follow me."

Bing Meilu silently nodded, walking behind Lord Jiang as he walked through the house. After turning through several hallways, they reached another door. Lord Jiang pushed it open and the two stepped out into a backyard.

It was a sandy plain filled with training dummies that stuck out of the ground. A teen boy lay atop a long bench, sleeping under the shade of a tree. His long brown hair messily hung over the bench as he slept.

"Jiang Fang! Aren't you supposed to be training?" Lord Jiang shouted, rousing his son.

The boy mumbled something as he tiredly rolled over. He blearily winked his eyes, gazing at Lord Jiang.

"I was just taking a break, father," the boy yawned, reaching up to rub his eyes. "What do you want?"

Bing Meilu took the chance to study her opponent. Jiang Fang was fairly well built for noble, lithe muscles stretching out his robe. His skin was pale and smooth, characteristic of someone who spent their time indoors or under the shade, rather than working hard out under the sun.

"Do, you remember what I told you about the bet? This is Bing Meilu," Lord Jiang introduced, pointing to her.

"Oh really?" Jiang Fang sighed. "Let's get this over with then. I'll make sure not to hurt her too badly."

Bing Meilu's frowned slightly. It seemed the mortal child thought too highly of himself. Perhaps she would take the time to cut down the size of his ego. She slowly walked over to Jiang Fang and raised a single hand into the air. Jiang Fang raised an eyebrow, confused by her actions. She wasn't in a stance, nor did she have a guard up. Perhaps the fight would be even easier than he expected.

"Just know you can give up at any time," Jiang Fang commented lazily.

He widened his feet, raising his hands into fists. Bing Meilu stepped forward, now only a few feet from him. She closed her palm, leaving only one finger pointed forward.

"One finger," Bing Meilu said.

"What?"

"I'll beat you with one finger."

Jiang Fang stared at her silently for several seconds, before he chuckled slightly.

"Are you sure I should marry this girl, father? It seems she may be mentally retarded."

Lord Jiang simply frowned, staring at Bing Meilu with an inscrutable gaze. What was she doing?

Jiang Fang shook his head stepping towards Bing Meilu. He twisted his hips, lashing out with a light punch. It was clear he was holding back greatly. Bing Meilu shook her head disapprovingly. Even if he thought Bing Meilu was weaker than himself, only fools ever held back in a fight.

Her finger moved upwards, connecting with his punch. Yet, instead of bending or snapping, her finger completely halted the attack in its tracks as if it had slammed into a piece of hardened metal. With Qi reinforcing her flesh and bones, it wouldn't even be incorrect to say her finger was made of solid steel, given how tough and durable it was.

His punch deflected easily, Jiang Fang narrowed his eyes, confused. No human finger could block the force of a punch. Perhaps he had simply held back a little too much? Stepping to the side, the young noble lashed out with a second punch. This time he twisted his waist, shooting his knuckles towards Bing Meilu at full speed. This was an attack Jiang Fang had taken out fully grown adults with, so it stood to reason that Bing Meilu would be defeated by it as well.

Yet, once more Bing Meilu simply lifted a single finger, poking at his punch. The moment his fist impacted her finger, lances of pain shot up his hand, as if he had just punched a tree.

"Just know you can give up at any time," Bing Meilu said coldly, returning Jing Fang's words.

Jiang Fang grit his teeth, stepping back. He suddenly shifted his stance, widening his legs. Now he was serious. Jing Fang raised his fists punching out at her face. The moment Bing Meilu raised a hand to block, Jiang Fang let loose another punch, this one at her stomach.

Bing Meilu raised an eyebrow. That was actually... somewhat impressive, for a normal mortal. He had already adapted to her actions. So long as she was handicapping herself to only a finger, she couldn't block both attacks.

'Still, its useless,' Bing Meilu thought, shaking her head.

His first punch slammed into her finger only for Bing Meilu to suddenly roughly push forward. Jiang Fang's elbow snapped as Bing Meilu pushed his arm further back than it was meant to go.

A garbled scream tore out of his throat, and the teen fell to his back, his other hand clutching at the broken arm.

"Sorry about that. I guess I underestimated my own strength," Bing Meilu shrugged. She really did need to get used to her new level of strength. Oh well, no use crying over spilt milk. It wasn't like the mortal wouldn't heal.

Jiang Fang looked up at her, eyes filled with a mix of fear, pain and confusion. Bing Meilu winced. Perhaps she had been a little too harsh on the boy. After all, he was only a mortal child. Deciding to attempt to comfort the boy, she leaned down and looked him in the eyes.

"You must be wondering how you lost. Did you make some mistakes? Did you not train hard enough? Or are you simply just weak? Be comforted in the knowledge there was nothing you could have done differently that would have allowed you to defeat me. You never stood a chance in the first place so there is no use feeling sad over your loss."

Satisfied with her daily good deed, Bing Meilu turned to look over at Lord Jiang and the guard, both of whom were simply frozen in shock.

"I think our bet is settled, Lord Jiang."

 

[ninjastar]

Transmigrated back into the body of her child self, can the mighty Celestial Bing Meilu survive in a Xianxia world all the while staving off the advances of arrogant young masters and wannabe protagonists alike?

Why is life so hard for the Icy Beauty?

Any corrections or criticisms are welcome, I hope you enjoy Chapter 9: Farewell
---

Lord Jiang stood frozen for a second, mind processing the events that had just taken place. Slowly a look of surprise and confusion manifested itself across his face.

"What? That's not possible," he muttered, shocked. "No one has beaten my son before... You can't have-"

"There's a first time for everything," Bing Meilu interrupted. "As I said, I've won and our bet is settled. You may go tell my grandfather the marriage is cancelled. Good day."

Having finished what she came to do, Bing Meilu spun around, the sudden motion causing her dress to spin in the air. With her back facing Lord Jiang and his son, she walked away, pushing open the gate to leave the training field. A low growl bore out from Jiang Fang, who still lay on the floor holding his broken arm. A fire lit up in his eyes as he glared intensely at Bing Meilu's retreating form.

"Bing Meilu, this is not over yet! Once I'm stronger, I will defeat you!"

Bing Meilu stepped out of Jiang Manor's front door, walking up to the gate she had entered through. The lone guard from before stood there, resting his weight on the shaft of his spear. The man looked up upon noticing her approach. His eyes caught sight of her clean, unruffled clothing and her uninjured body. He let out a laugh, a sneer of derision appearing on his face.

"What, did you give up before even fighting?" the man asked in between chuckles.

"No. I won," Bing Meilu said offhandedly as she walked past the guard.

Though she could hear the guard call after her, asking some questions, Bing Meilu paid him no mind as she walked. Currently, she was deep in thought, pondering her future plans.

Considering her talent, Bing Meilu could conceivably just hide in a cave for the next few centuries and cultivate until she reached immortality. However, it would go much, much faster if she had the resources and backing of a sect. On the Bird Talon continent, she had only one real option. The entire continent was under the rule of a single supreme sect, the Twelve Headed Avian Sect. While there was a variety of weaker rabble sects running around, none of them could ever amass any real wealth or power before being wiped out.

However, the Twelve-headed Bird Sect did in fact, have twelve separate branches or 'heads' with which Bing Meilu could join. The sect Bing Meilu had been a part of in her first life, the Moon Crying Swan Palace seemed like the obvious choice. While it had less total resources as the third strongest branch of the sect than the two stronger branches, the first-ranked Sky Swallowing Gulper Armada and the second-ranked Order of the Sharpened Heaven Peng, the resources it did have were perfectly suited for her unique style of cultivation.

The Moon Crying Swan Palace was specifically focused on yin type cultivation, the style Bing Meilu followed, thus the Palace possessed a variety of special legacies and treasures specifically designed to aid in such cultivation. Furthermore, it was the sect Bing Meilu had grown up with, so she was already familiar with the internal structure, politics and secrets of the sect, making it even more of a perfect choice.

However, the most compelling reason to join it would be to recruit her old comrades. It was in the Moon Crying Swan Sect that Bing Meilu would meet two of her closest friends, Junior Sister Shui Wu and Junior Sister Ruan Hua who would accompany her throughout her entire life, and even be amongst the founding members of Bing Meilu's self-created sect, the Crystal Providence Heavenly Palace.

Bing Meilu made up her mind. She would definitely be joining the Moon Crying Swan Palace. But how would she get into the Palace? Unlike her first life, Bing Meilu was not really content to just wait years until her Master happened to come by the town and notice her. Bing Meilu did not want to waste years of prime cultivation time, so she would have to find a way to join as soon as possible.

"It seems that I'll have to compete in the Sect Recruitment trials," Bing Meilu frowned.

It slightly irked her to do so, as there was a stigma associated with joining through the trials rather than being recruited directly. Generally, weaker and less talented members would enter through the trials while the more talented would be directly recruited by an elder. However, Bing Meilu was confident she could still catch the eye of an elder after passing the trials, given her talent. The girl sighed. It seemed Bing Meilu's time at Jiang City had finally come to an end. Now, she would leave and truly begin life as a cultivator.

However, Bing Meilu sighed, looking in the direction of the small farmhouse her family lived in. It wouldn't be proper to leave without saying her goodbyes. Bing Meilu walked through the streets of the town, past shops and homes until she reached the outskirts. She could see the farmhouse in the distance, standing alone outside the city. Bing Meilu slowly approached it, pushing open the door and stepping into the kitchen. The room was empty, her family likely out working in the fields.

Bing Meilu retrieved a small wooden plate from a nearby cupboard, placing it in the center of the table. Soft blue light began to gather around her finger, millions of tiny flaxes coalescing.

"Frozen Creation," Bing Meilu murmured, Qi within her Dantain churning out to form letters of solid ice upon the plate.

Dear honoured parents and grandparents. I write to you my final farewell. By the time you are reading this letter, I am likely long gone. The truth is, I have left to become an immortal cultivator and pursue the Great Dao.

I know I was never the child you wished for me to be, and I am sorry, but I must pursue my own path as a cultivator. I am not ungrateful for the life you gave me or the time and money spent on raising me. I assure you, I will repay you a thousandfold. As a cultivator, I will ensure that all of you, and all of your descendants live long and comfortable lives. Give my farewell to Bing Wei.

I wish you all well, from Bing Meliu

Bing Meilu stood up, looking down at the plate expressionlessly. She sighed once more before turning out and leaving.

Now truly began Bing Meilu's journey of Cultivation.

 

[ninjastar]

Transmigrated back into the body of her child self, can the mighty Celestial Bing Meilu survive in a Xianxia world all the while staving off the advances of arrogant young masters and wannabe protagonists alike?

Why is life so hard for the Icy Beauty?

Any corrections or criticisms are welcome, I hope you enjoy Chapter 10: Looting
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Bing Meilu's cold blue eyes gazed across the sparse plains and fields of the northern lands. Occasionally bleached white boulders protruded from the earth, breaking up the monotony of the vista. A few tall trees were peppered throughout the meadows, rising into the sky and spreading their branches wide. Small blue feathered birds chirped loudly from within their nests, singing melodious songs.

Although Bing Meilu was barely a day's walk from Jiang City, all signs of civilization had long since faded into the underbrush. Immersed in the pure wilderness, Bing Meilu inhaled deeply, enjoying the fresh, earthy fragrance of the outdoors. It was... nice to simply enjoy the sights and relax.

For a moment, Bing Meilu wondered how long it had been since she had stopped to simply enjoy herself? From the moment her cultivation had begun, all those years ago, it had been a constant struggle. She had fought battle after battle, war after war, the only breaks in between being sessions of bitter cultivation and harsh training. Such was the life of a cultivator.

For a moment, Bing Meilu entertained the thought of abandoning that life of hardship, to forsake the treacherous politicking and constant fighting of the cultivator world and simply enjoy a quiet life of peace. However, Bing Meilu shook her head, dismissing the idea.

'The Great Dao is merciless and only the strong may walk it. To seek the Dao is to live a life wrought with danger and suffering, but I've already stepped onto this road and there is no turning back now,' Bing Meilu thought, her resolve firm.

The only path for her was the path of cultivation. The only life for her was the life of cultivation. Regardless of the difficulties, Bing Meilu would not give up now.

"I need to hurry up," Bing Meilu sighed. "I have a long trip ahead of me..."

Indeed, to reach the extreme south where the Moon Crying Swan Palace resided, Bing Meilu would need to travel some sixty thousand miles. As a Cultivator in Qi Condensation, such a trip could take more than a year or two by foot, and that was counting perfect conditions. When one considered weather, natural obstacles like mountains, rivers and oceans and the need to gather food and other resources, it could take more than triple that time.

However, that was time Bing Meilu was not willing to waste. She was currently in her prime cultivation years and every moment she wasn't chowing down on rare spirit herbs and exquisite elixirs was a moment wasted.

"If only this godforsaken Continent had transportation formations," Bing Meilu sighed, rubbing her forehead.

The Bird Talon Continent was relatively primitive and weak as far as Continents go, the first cultivators having appeared less than a million years ago. It was still lacking many of the more advanced techniques and tools commonplace elsewhere in the world of cultivation, such as transportation formations.

If Bing Meilu were anywhere else, she could simply head to the nearest city and teleport across the Continent in the blink of any eye. Sadly that was not an option for her here on the Bird Talon Continent.

"If I want to reach the South fast, there are still some options..." Bing Meilu muttered, falling deep into thought.

Over hundreds of millennia, the Bird Talon Continent had been thoroughly explored, every hidden nook and cranny, every obstructs mountain trail and landmark. Over this time, travellers, in search of ways to speed up their journeys had discovered many special sites that allowed one to cut down the time it took to cross the continent.

There were seven such sites, each one different from the last, each with bizarre special properties that could be used in travel.

The Malignant Road, the Xiaomi Jin, the Folded Seas, the Gates of Marrow, the Peela Baadal Secret Realms, Meng's Hollowed Veins and the Flesh Mountains. Of these seven places, only two of them were close enough that Bing Meilu could reach them in a reasonable time frame. The Folded Seas and the Flesh Mountains.

However, navigating the Folded Seas was no simple task. Safe routes through the interwoven dimensions and warped spaces of the Seas was information jealously guarded by whoever had discovered it. Each sect generally knew at least a few survivable ways one could travel through the Seas, but Bing Meilu had neither the time nor the resources to acquire such information. At that point, she might as well just walk all the way south.

Meanwhile, the Flesh Mountains were far simpler to navigate. All Bing Meilu would have to do was enter the Mountains and head south. The difficult part would be to survive, but Bing Meilu could rely on the protection of the massive traveller caravans that constantly moved through the place. She would just have to buy her way into one.

"It's decided, then," Bing Meilu murmured. "I'm heading to the Flesh Mountains."

Having decided on where she would be travelling, Bing Meilu began to pick up speed. Qi poured into her legs, a slight blue haze appearing around her. Bing Meilu raced across the grass as fast as a gazelle.

As Bing Meilu travelled, days quickly passed. The grassy plains began to turn into thick woods, trees appearing more and more as she left behind the Qi-barren north of the Continent. Before long, the girl was running through a vast and thick forest trail, nimbly dodging between trees as she ran, not stopping to slow down for even a moment. While running, Bing Meilu began to catch the far off sound of humans talking. Wondering who it was, Bing Meilu immediately slowed down. Silently walking forward, Bing Meilu approached the source of the noise, until the talking became distinct.

"- is a great idea, isn't it? We just wait for travelling merchants to walk through the pass and we can grab all their shit! It really is a foolproof plan!" a male voice spoke excitedly.

"Stop jacking yourself off, Hao. We get that it's a good strategy already," another voice responded, slightly annoyed. "Let's just eat already and head out."

"Fuck you, Bai, you're just jealous of how great a tactician I am!" the first voice said smugly.

"Great tactician my ass-"

"Both of you shut the fuck up. You're giving me a fucking headache," a third voice tiredly interjected.

Bing Meilu raised an eyebrow. That was a rather strange accent. It looked like it was just some bandits. They were probably planning on picking off merchants who were heading to the Flesh Mountains and stealing their cargo.

Bing Meilu walked forward, quickly breaking the treeline and stepping into a small clearing. A large fire burned in the center, upon which sat a large metal pot that emitted the scent of cooking meat. An elderly woman stood next to the pot, stirring it with a large wooden spoon. A half dozen men sat on logs around the fire, all wearing dark brown leather armour studded with metal plates. That was expensive armour that no normal bandit group would be able to afford.

As Bing Meilu stepped into the clearing, one of the men turned his head, catching sight of her.

"Hey!" he shouted, drawing a knife from a sheath on his thigh. "Who're you?!"

Started by his shout, the other five men turned around, noticing her as well.

"It's just a little girl," spoke the voice Bing Meilu recognized as 'Hao'.

"It just looks like a little girl," said the third voice, which belonged to a tall, broad shoulder man whose face was peppered with scars. "Don't let your guard down. This close to the Flesh Mountains, it could be any number of strange creatures!"

"Yes, Boss Liang," Hao responded, rubbing the back of his neck.

The six men stood up, grabbing large Ji, polearms with crescent moon blades that had rested on the floor. Bing Meilu snorted slightly, waving her hands dismissively at the bandits.

"Put down the weapons before you get hurt," Bing Meilu said. "I don't plan on killing you but I wouldn't mind doing it either."

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" shouted the man who had first noticed her.

"Shut up Meng," spat Boss Liang, who then turned to Bing Meilu. "Who are you and what do you want?"

"I'm in need of funds right now, so I will be confiscating any money you have," Bing Meilu smiled. "If you obediently hand over all your valuables, I'll let you live. As for who I am, that doesn't really matter."

"No, I think it does," Boss Liang smiled. "Because I think you're bluffing."

"Oh, you do? Then allow me to put those concerns to rest," Bing Meilu smiled coldly.

With a flash of blue light, a dozen knives of ice began to coalesce around Bing Meilu, large jagged blades that glowed ominously in the shaded underwood.

"You have ten seconds to drop your weapons before you die," Bing Meilu said flatly.

Boss Liang immediately dropped his Ji, raising his hands in surrender. A flattering smile appearing on his face.

"I had eyes but could not see Mount Tai. I don't suppose you still plan on sparing us?"

"I don't particularly care if you live or die," Bing Meilu responded, shrugging carelessly. "So long as you hand over your valuables and run away, I won't bother putting in the effort to kill you."

"Sounds like a plan then," Boss Liang laughed, pulling out a large sack of gold from his pocket and dropping it to the floor. "Boys, you know what to do."

The other men immediately followed suit, dropping their weapons and pulling out any valuables they had. A large pile of jewels, precious metals and other trinkets slowly formed on the ground.

Bing Meilu looked over to the elderly woman who was still cooking, completely unperturbed by Bing Meilu's presence.

"Don't look at me. I don't have any money on me," the old woman said offhandedly.

Bing Meilu shrugged. She was pretty sure the lady was lying, but she already had enough money and there was no point wasting her valuable time scouring for more. Bing Meilu leaned down, gathering the pile of money and valuables and placing it within one of the sacks of gold coins, which was conveniently large enough to store all of the money.

"I'll be on my way then," Bing Meilu smiled pleasantly, waving as she left.

Now with this money, Bing Meilu could buy a spot in one of the large caravans that traversed the Flesh Mountains. She had originally been planning on collecting the money from some villages along the way, but this was far more convenient for her.

'Now it's time to continue travelling,' thought Bing Meilu.